For 10 weeks
by Lauren Williams
Summary: He couldn't go to his lover so he turned to the only other person he trusted implicitly. Morgan/Reid established. Reid/JJ friendship. Implied SLASH.


**For 10 weeks**

**Disclaimer**: I do not pretend to own any of the characters in Criminal Minds, though if I did the show would go a little differently and last season practically would have never happened (seriously, getting rid of both Prentiss and J.J.?)

**Note**: This story does contain spoilers for "Proof" and kind of "It Takes a Village" too but not as much. So basically if you haven't seen any of Season 7 then you might want to go back until you do.

**Note 2**: If slash (male/male) offends you then you might not want to read this, if you do ahead and read this anyway then **you are just looking to be offended** and I don't really want to hear about it in a review. You've been warned!

**Summary**: He couldn't go to his lover so he turned to the only other person he trusted implicitly. Morgan/Reid established. Reid/JJ friendship. Implied SLASH.

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He couldn't stay in his apartment anymore. It was too quiet. He could hear himself thinking. He couldn't stand the silence he once cherished.

Why hadn't he figured out what was going on sooner? Why hadn't they been able to find her in time? Why did she have to die?

He could hear a whisper in the back of his head. The whispered promised to make it all go away. Dilaudid would take this all away. All the shame, the guilt, the pain.

He shook his head to try and clear it. He knew better than to think about going down that road again. He thought about calling his sponsor and meeting him somewhere, at least that would get him out of the house for a while.

But he didn't. He just couldn't, knowing that Jamie didn't understand the pain he was in, didn't understand the guilt he felt, didn't know Prentiss.

But he had to leave.

Not wanting to break down on some form of public transportation, SSA Spencer Reid gathered the keys to car and locked the door behind him. He sat behind the wheel of his car and didn't move.

Where could he go? Derek's was out of the question, as much as he loved and trusted him he knew he was dealing with a lot lately. He was blaming himself for not getting to Prentiss just a moment sooner, maybe he if had she would have made it. Reid knew he couldn't just show up crying on his doorstep.

Putting the keys in the ignition he began to drive. The journey took longer than usual, he had to drive slowly because the tears kept obstructing his view and he didn't want to crash on his way over. He was more than a little bit relieved when he finally pulled up to the curb and could shut the car off.

Clutching his messenger bag like a lifeline in front of him he slowly made his way up the walk, no longer able to hold back the tears. He weakly raised his hand to the door and knocked.

The door swung open and Reid was surprised by the person on the other side, maybe he hadn't thought this through.

"Uncle Spe'sser!" The little voice yelled and soon Reid found himself trying to retain his balance as the same little body barreled into his legs.

"Henry, who is at the door? You know you can't just open the door without mommy or daddy there!" JJ's slightly panicked voice stated as he hurried into the living room to greet whoever was at the door. She was shocked by the sight that met her.

There was Spencer Reid, not even in the doorway, tears streaming down his face and hands trembling with the effort he was putting into grasping his well-known bag.

There was her son gripping the man's legs tightly, waiting for his uncle to reach down and grab him back.

"Spence," she said softly as she approached the two.

"I'm sorry JJ," was all Reid whispered, his voice seemed weak, like he was about to disappear.

Will came around the corner from the bedroom side of the house where he was getting Henry's bath ready and stopped at the sight that greeted him. JJ gave him a pleading look that clearly asked him to get Henry out of there so she could try and handle this. He nodded, feeling the usually strong and high spirited agent's pain flowing off of him in waves.

"Come 'ere Henry," He said softly as JJ moved closer to her ex co-worker.

Henry didn't understand why his uncle wasn't hugging him back, why he wasn't showing him a trick like he usually does when he comes over. He let go and looked closely, finally realizing he was crying.

"Why you cryin' uncle Spe'sser?" he asked, a frown forming.

JJ knelt down next to her son and moved him away from Reid, "Uncle Spencer is a little sad right now, why don't you go take a bath with daddy and mommy will try and make him feel better. Just like after you fall down and get a boo-boo and mommy makes you feel better. Okay?" she said softly, keeping an eye on her teammate in the corner of her eye, afraid he would bolt out of the house at anytime.

Henry looked like he wanted to stay but Will came over and quickly lifted him into his arms and swiftly moved out of the room, giving his wife a little privacy.

"Oh Spence," she said, finally able to turn her full attention to him.

"I miss her," he said eventually, another batch of fresh tears escaping from his eyes.

"I know, we all miss her," she said, gathering the man into her arms and holding on tightly. Holding him the same way she held him that night in the emergency room.

Reid felt boneless in her arms and she could feel his body shake with silent sobs as everything overwhelmed him.

Somehow she managed to get him over to the couches where she could hold him better. There were no words to make it better, she just held him and let him cry.

After a while she shaking subsided and his breathe evened out. He had cried himself to sleep.

JJ maneuvered herself out from under him and attempted to move his lanky limbs into a comfortable position on the too short couch. She ran her fingers through the short strands of hair on his head and whispered that the pain would eventually end, that everything would get better.

This was how Will found her almost an hour later. He had finished Henry's bath and was able to get him in bed, giving JJ time with her hurting friend. He could tell she had been crying as well and pulled her up into his embrace.

"Ya alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, backing up and wiping her face. "I should call Derek, he will be worried if he tries to reach Spence at his apartment and he can't."

Will knew something wasn't right but also knew now wasn't the time to push it. He just nodded, stealing a glance at the sleeping agent. He had dark bags under his eyes, darker than usual at least, and his eyes were puffy from crying. He hadn't known Prentiss well, having only met her at team functions and holiday parties, but he knew what this team was like. It was a family. He knew how bad it hurt to lose a family member so he knew the pain they were going through. Nothing was going to make it better but time.

JJ leaned against the counter in the kitchen and dialed a familiar number.

"JJ what's up?" Morgan answered, having seen her name on his caller ID.

"Spence is over here," She said, still reigning in her emotions.

"Okay? Did he come over to visit Henry; he didn't mention it at the office today." Morgan said, thinking maybe his pretty boy had taken the subway to get there and she didn't want him taking it back late tonight.

"No Derek, he just showed up. He was crying," she said.

"WHAT? Is he alright, is he hurt?" Derek asked, already running around his house for his wallet, gun, credentials, and keys.

"Physically he's fine," she said, trying to calm the man. Everyone on the team knew how protective he was of Reid.

"What aren't you telling me, JJ what's going on," Morgan asked, clearly not slowing down in his pursuit to gather his things and get to her house and quickly as possible.

"He's mourning Derek, he came here crying because he misses her," she said.

"Why didn't he come to me?" Morgan asked, finally slowing down a little, maybe Reid didn't want him right now.

"He knows you're grieving just as much as he is. He probably didn't want to be a burden. I think he's also feeling guilty that he couldn't do something to prevent it. We all know that you are trying to take the blame for not getting there sooner, he probably didn't want to add to your pain," she reasoned.

"I'm on my way over," was all Morgan said in reply.

JJ was not surprised when there was a knock on her door ten minutes later, even though Derek lived about twenty minutes away. She just opened the door and pointed to where Reid was lying on her couch.

He looked upset as he knelt down next to Reid and kissed his forehead softly. Not wanting to wake him he lifted the taller man into his arms awkwardly and brought him out to his car. JJ followed to help him with the doors. Once Reid was safely buckled up Derek finally found some words.

"Thank you for taking care for him," he said.

"You know I would do it anytime, you take care of him now," she said, watching him climb into the driver's seat. She knew he wasn't ready to talk yet and that this probably wouldn't be the last time Spence turned to her while his lover was hurting. Her door would always be open to him. She just didn't know how she was going to be able to hold him, listen to him cry and blame himself, and allow him to break when she knew the truth.

For ten weeks.

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Hope you liked it. It was just something that I couldn't get out of my head since last night's episode. R&R!


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